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FIFA officials arrested on corruption charges, face US extradition

Newspapers headlines in Switzerland were dominated on Thursday with news the world's most popular sport was plunged into turmoil as seven senior soccer officials were arrested on US corruption charges and faced extradition from Switzerland, whose authorities also announced a criminal investigation into the awarding of the next two World Cups. The arrests in a dawn raid at a five-star Zurich hotel on Wednesday marked an unprecedented blow against soccer's governing body FIFA, which for years has been dogged by allegations of corruption but always escaped major criminal cases. The charges allege there has been widespread corruption throughout football's governing body over the past 20 years, involving bids for World Cups as well as marketing and broadcast deals.